


5 Times Troy Got Lonely in the Shower, and 1 Time He Didn't.

by hedwwig



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M, queerphobic slurs cw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-07-17
Packaged: 2018-02-09 08:05:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1975356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hedwwig/pseuds/hedwwig
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Self explanatory title. From an anonymous prompter on Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	5 Times Troy Got Lonely in the Shower, and 1 Time He Didn't.

i.

     Troy had always thought showers were weird. He preferred baths, but for some reason they were frowned upon for men, once you got past a certain age. He didn’t get it, but he knew the rules of the game, and knew that he had to play. So he stood under the running water for as short a time as possible, hating the feeling of isolation it gave him. He couldn’t hear anything, and the steam fogged his vision. Twelve year old Troy Barnes felt as lonely in his own bathroom, in a house full of people, as he figured it was possible to feel.

 

ii.

     Locker room showers were better. Not that he particularly enjoyed having his…  _everything_  in full view of a dozen other dudes or more, but at least there were other people there. People he could see, and hear. He knew the world hadn’t ended. At least, until he made the mistake of thinking this aloud one day after practice. Brief silence, a bit of uncomfortable laughter, and someone across the steamy bathroom yelled “C’mon, Barnes, don’t be a faggot!”   
     The tension broke as much as it could, and Troy laughed, but he knew he had messed up. Sixteen year old Troy Barnes still showered with the rest of the team, but felt lonely again. He was always the first one dressed and out the door.

 

iii.

     Pierce’s house was… the worst. It was too  _much_. He had to walk what felt like a mile to get to the bathroom designated as his, and as nice as the place was, he couldn’t be comfortable in it. He found himself cutting his shower time in half, then in half again. The sound of water against expensive marble tile rang in his ears as it echoed across the room, and he couldn’t hear anything else, and he knew no one else could hear him, and he  _hated it._  Twenty one year old Troy Barnes figured he was the fastest shower-er this side of the Rockies.   
     …well. Maybe this side of Denver, at least.

 

iv.

     Troy’s bathroom at Apartment 303 was small, but more than big enough for him, thanks. And… Britta… he guessed…??? He blinked rapidly, narrowly avoiding getting shampoo in his eyes as he heard the door open and feminine footsteps drawing closer to his side of the foggy room. He saw her silhouette through the curtain, slowly removing the shirt of his she had used the night before in lieu of pajamas. “Need some company in there?” Oh, shit, she was using her sexy voice. He knew he should be turned on, but showers were weird enough as it was. He looked around the small, slippery space. That. That was… just not practical. His brain got ahead of him, and before he knew it he had imagined six different scenarios in which one or both of them had slipped and fallen in the shower and died, and they were alone in there ‘cause they were alone in the apartment and SHIT SHIT SHIT NOPE.  
     He turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel as he walked swiftly past his well meaning and mostly naked girlfriend. “Sorrymaybelatermaybenexttimenotnowjustmissedithahayourturnbye.”  
     Twenty three year old Troy Barnes left a very confused Britta Perry in his wake. He hated himself a little for the rest of the day, but didn’t really regret his actions. Not really.

 

v. 

     Jeff had a nice shower. It really was weird that his mirror said “You’re special” when it got fogged up, though. Yeah, Abed had been the one to bring it up, but they had both tried it out. Abed had said Troy having a turn was “absolutely crucial” when he emerged with a towel around his waist. “Troy. He’s got settings for his settings. Water comes from places you didn’t know water could come from. It’s amazing.”   
     Twenty four year old Troy didn’t see what was so great about it. Especially when he shut the door, and pulled the curtain, and he was alone again as the water cascaded from the ceiling, which- okay, that  _was_ pretty cool, he guessed. 

 

~~~

 

i.

     Troy was inspecting a freckle on the back of his left knee when he heard the door open. He hadn’t been in the bathroom for more than three minutes, and was already almost done with his shower- couldn’t Abed have waited another two minutes to grab his toothbrush? He poked his head out from behind the curtain to say as much, and found himself speechless.  
     Abed had perched himself on the counter, and was playing with his phone. He seemed in no hurry to leave. He looked up to see Troy staring at him with a very confused expression on his face. Which really shouldn’t have been much of a surprise.  
     ”Don’t mind me. Go back to your shower. I just wanted to talk to you about the Inspector Spacetime Christmas Special Halloween Remix. How Tim Burton-y does it sound to you?”  
     Troy dripped incredulously. “Dude… can it… wait?”  
     Abed blinked at him.  
     Troy slowly closed the curtain and went back to his morning ablutions, letting Abed talk. He responded occasionally, but didn’t much need to- the room was full of his best friend’s voice, and ideas, and _presence_.   
     Twenty five year old Troy Barnes knew that Abed knew about his weird shower thing. Abed turned his head away without being asked when Troy stepped out to grab his towel, and didn’t once stop talking. Troy rolled his eyes. He didn’t mind at all.


End file.
